


Attention

by donnarafiki



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Fluff, Getting Together, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Self-Esteem Issues, Truth or Dare, brief mention of alcohol abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-07
Updated: 2019-03-07
Packaged: 2019-11-13 12:36:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18031850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/donnarafiki/pseuds/donnarafiki
Summary: A game of truth or dare is never boring when Malfoy is involved, but it's not always fun either...Especially when people ask questions like that.





	Attention

**Author's Note:**

  * For [OTPshipper98](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OTPshipper98/gifts).



> biggest thanks to my 2 betas for fixing this mess<3

“Truth or dare?”

Draco sighed. He didn’t know why he’d agreed to this. It wasn’t fun to be at a party where half the guests hate you. But if he’d stayed up in his dorm, Harry would have dragged him downstairs halfway through anyway, and he had a hard time saying no to those puppy eyes. Damn Potter and his cute antics.

“Truth.” He replied eventually. At least then he didn’t have to get up.

“Tell us something about yourself that you’ve never told anyone before.” McLaggen said with a smirk. “Something you’re _ashamed_ about.”

Draco dropped his head on his drawn-up knees. Honestly, it was a cheap shot, and McLaggen was the one who should be ashamed of himself for it. But alas, the rules left no space for arguing. It was either speak or take a shot, and with his history with alcohol, that would be a _catastrophic_ idea. Drinking away your problems didn’t work,  Draco had first had experience with it. Not that anyone knew that, and he was definitely ashamed about it, but he wasn’t going to tell anyone about that. Which only left him with one more option, since most of his humiliations had been made public during his trial.

“Sometimes…” he sighed again, letting his eyes drift to Harry. His eighth year roommate was already on the edge of his seat, ready to defend Draco and yell ‘ _fuck the game, Draco doesn’t need to reply if he doesn’t want to. That’s a shit question McLaggen_. _’_ But he couldn’t let that happen. No matter how much he enjoyed it sometimes, right now he did not want to be some damsel in distress.

“I grew up in a huge house. Sometimes I didn’t see anyone for days, since I had house elves instead of a human nanny and my parents were often gone. My family isn’t affectionate, and I’d never heard _‘I love you’_ until Pansy said it in sixth year. So sometimes I fake problems or injuries just to get attention. I’m too ashamed to just ask for attention or affection but I’m too scared to be forgotten if I don’t say anything.”

So there, it was out. Now everyone knew how pathetic he really was. It wasn’t even something from the war, something he could blame on old snake face. He was just sad and needy sometimes and too much of a coward to be honest about it.

The room was quiet. His face felt like it was on fire. Then McLaggen roared, laughing at him, saying ‘ _we already knew you were pathetic, ferret_. _’_ Despite what Draco had wished, Harry still stood up for him then. Draco didn’t really take notice though. He kept staring at a stain in the carpet, letting the sounds of his fellow students wash over him as time went on.

When people started going to bed, he was one of the first to follow. He didn’t want to be in bed. Not in his own bed, anyway. He wanted to be with Harry, sleep together like they’d done sometimes after a bad nightmare. But, true to his confession, Draco didn’t ask. He just slipped into his pyjamas, lay down in bed and curled up under the blankets.

Ten minutes later, his mattress dipped. Two strong arms pulled him against a warm chest before he could really register what was going on.

“Hey,” Harry whispered, as if he did this on a daily basis. “Is this okay for you?”

Draco nodded. Talking was suddenly very difficult, but nodding he could do.

“I feel like that too sometimes, you know? Invisible. The only attention my aunt and uncle ever gave me was negative. They saw me as their servant, and later this world saw me as their hero. I was always so scared no one saw me as _me_.” Harry gently pried Draco’s arms loose, which he’d tightly wrapped around himself before. That way Harry could properly spoon him, and Draco both hated and loved how safe that made him feel. Malfoys don’t need affection, but Draco still wanted it.

“It’s not really the same, but…” Harry sighed. “I think I understand what you mean. And I love your hidden pleas for attention because that means I can give that attention to you. When I need something I just suffer in silence. I think that’s why we would fit so well together.”

That made Draco turn around. Both the words, and the fact that they were spoken as an insecure whisper. But instead of asking one of the million questions on his mind, Draco just looked at Harry. He looked and he _saw_. It wasn’t judgement. Harry didn’t think he was pathetic. He _liked_ it for some reason. Liked _him_.

“If-, if you want to be together, that is.”

For the first time that night, Draco smiled. And he answered Harry’s question with a soft kiss. This right here was all the attention he wanted, and something told him there would be plenty of it in the future.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this bc I too, want attention all the time, as i'm sure do many others. and as someone who also loved giving people attention, i dont think thats a bad thing. clearly, harry agrees. and I gifted it to marina bc i know they're just as addicted to hugs as I am<3
> 
> Please consider leaving kudos or a comment if you liked this<3


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